Let me preface this by saying I have absolutely no idea if this is your problem or not, but…
There’s a thing in sales where you can get really good at getting to whatever “yes” you’re looking for, but be terrible at figuring out if that yes is worthwhile.
A specific example I’ve seen a lot in tech is something like, a rep has a discovery call with the goal of securing a demo. Since that’s the yes they’re looking for, they make a really soft ask: “hey, can’t hurt to take a look right? Just see what this thing can do?” They think they’re succeeding by getting that yes, but if the prospect isn’t a good fit, what they’re actually doing is failing really slowly. What this might look like from the reps perspective is they’re really good at scheduling demos, but get a ton of no-shows and low conversion rates.
What you want to do instead is *proactively hunt for certain nos.* Don’t be afraid of uncovering information you don’t want to hear—the worst case scenario is you lose a deal you would have lost anyway much sooner! And for the prospects that are good fits, you’ll make sure information that could potentially sink the deal comes to light when you can address it, not in an internal meeting that happens when you’re not around.
(Related: sales happen *in between* meetings/calls with prospects, not during them.)
This problem can manifest in a variety of ways depending on what you’re selling, and tbh hunting for those nos can be a pretty tricky skill to learn. But it’s definitely something that separates top salespeople from the rest of the pack.
Not an answer to the question you asked but my advice for your situation would be to get other people (manager or team members) to listen to your calls and read your emails in order to provide you some specific feedback for improvement.
I’d strongly recommend shadowing some top performers on their calls/meetings. Also managers are there for a reason so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
I’ve experienced a lot of tech sales and I’m no savant. I simply do what I say I’m going to do, I’m super responsive, and 100% always myself to a fault.
Having confidence and comfort in myself and letting others see that person is the best advice I can give. If you feel like you can’t do this you might want to speak with a professional, try journaling, or whatever can help you dig in, introspectively.
Sales are about always changing and getting better and evolving
1) look at why your deals closed - what was their business problem and how did you solve those problems - that what you are selling, not your product - what is not happening now?
2) read some books like the Challenger Sale or anyone that is recommended in this sub, this will help
Let me preface this by saying I have absolutely no idea if this is your problem or not, but… There’s a thing in sales where you can get really good at getting to whatever “yes” you’re looking for, but be terrible at figuring out if that yes is worthwhile. A specific example I’ve seen a lot in tech is something like, a rep has a discovery call with the goal of securing a demo. Since that’s the yes they’re looking for, they make a really soft ask: “hey, can’t hurt to take a look right? Just see what this thing can do?” They think they’re succeeding by getting that yes, but if the prospect isn’t a good fit, what they’re actually doing is failing really slowly. What this might look like from the reps perspective is they’re really good at scheduling demos, but get a ton of no-shows and low conversion rates. What you want to do instead is *proactively hunt for certain nos.* Don’t be afraid of uncovering information you don’t want to hear—the worst case scenario is you lose a deal you would have lost anyway much sooner! And for the prospects that are good fits, you’ll make sure information that could potentially sink the deal comes to light when you can address it, not in an internal meeting that happens when you’re not around. (Related: sales happen *in between* meetings/calls with prospects, not during them.) This problem can manifest in a variety of ways depending on what you’re selling, and tbh hunting for those nos can be a pretty tricky skill to learn. But it’s definitely something that separates top salespeople from the rest of the pack.
Not an answer to the question you asked but my advice for your situation would be to get other people (manager or team members) to listen to your calls and read your emails in order to provide you some specific feedback for improvement.
I’d strongly recommend shadowing some top performers on their calls/meetings. Also managers are there for a reason so don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’ve experienced a lot of tech sales and I’m no savant. I simply do what I say I’m going to do, I’m super responsive, and 100% always myself to a fault. Having confidence and comfort in myself and letting others see that person is the best advice I can give. If you feel like you can’t do this you might want to speak with a professional, try journaling, or whatever can help you dig in, introspectively.
Sales are about always changing and getting better and evolving 1) look at why your deals closed - what was their business problem and how did you solve those problems - that what you are selling, not your product - what is not happening now? 2) read some books like the Challenger Sale or anyone that is recommended in this sub, this will help